Dec 12th, 2013

Author: CrossFit CDR

CrossFitting While Pregnant:

Yes or No?

Pregnant moms doing Fran? Back-squatting? Snatching? To those people outside the CrossFit community, this sounds like reckless and selfish behavior, but to those moms who crossfit, its just any other day at the box. There has been some recent controversy surrounding exercise and pregnancy, as some recent news stories have blasted pregnant moms all over the US for working out and the potential dangers it raises. However, how much risk is associated with exercising while pregnant?

Regular exercise is actually recommended for pregnant women as it will improve posture, decrease back pain and fatigue, prevent gestational diabetes, relieve stress, and increase stamina for labor and delivery. If you’re already exercising regularly, then there is no reason why you should not be able to continue your same program while pregnant. However, you should tone down the intensity of the workouts as you progress along your pregnancy, this is because of the potential dangers surrounding the decreased oxygen and nutrient consumption of the baby. During pregnancy, the mother and baby share the same blood and nutrient supply, most often at the expense of the mother’s needs. This will result in the mother having a decreased blood volume, decreased hemoglobin load, and decreased mineral stores (especially iron). When you are exercising, your body demands ATP in order to provide energy for your muscles, which means that you must increase your oxygen consumption in order to handle the increased ATP load. For a seasoned athlete, they have a better oxygen transport system, which involves having a higher blood volume and increased mitochondrial density to produce ATP. For a exercise beginner, their ability to take in oxygen and generate ATP is not as efficient, and so thats why they get out of breath more easily and have decreased stamina. Now imagine if you are a new crossfitter and are pregnant, and decide to do a wod like Nancy (5 rounds 400 m run and 15 OHS). Your ability to take in and use oxygen is already severely compromised by your less developed mitochondria and pregnancy then lowers your blood volume and hemoglobin stores. As you attempt this workout, your body is desperately trying to oxygenate your hard working muscles, however it does not have the capacity to give enough oxygen to both you and the baby. This could result in the baby becoming hypoxic, meaning they are not receiving enough oxygen. Hypoxia can result in cellular damage to the central nervous system and lead to brain injury, various neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, and possibly death.

If you are pregnant, and a new exerciser, don’t start tackling any girl WODs just yet. Its important to ease into exercising, and walking is a good way to start. It is recommended to walk for at least 30 minutes everyday. As always, even an experienced CrossFit athlete needs to consult with their doctor about continuing their intense program and when it is time to scale back. So if you are smart, you and your baby can enjoy CrossFit together!